James Hudson 2021 NFL Draft Profile

The 2021 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the James Hudson 2021 NFL Draft Profile.

James Hudson Background

Position: Offensive Tackle

Size: 6-foot-5, 313 pounds

Class: Redshirt Junior

2020 stats: First Team All-AAC

Hudson played at two different schools during his college career, but still found success. Now he is one of the many good offensive tackles in the 2021 NFL Draft class.

Out of high school, Hudson was a four-star offensive lineman who decided to leave the state of Ohio to play at Michigan. He redshirted his first year on campus. Hudson played a little bit as a reserve ror the Wolverines in 2018. After the 2018 season, Hudson decided to transfer to Cincinnati. He played in one game in the 2019 season for the Bearcats, but was denied a waiver to play the rest of the season. For the 2020 season, Hudson jumped into the starting lineup and helped the Bearcats go undefeated in the regular season. They lost in the Peach Bowl to Georgia, but Hudson was named First Team All-AAC for his play.

After starting for just one season, Hudson is trying to go pro. He is currently projected to be a second to fourth round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Hudson has solid size for an offensive tackle. He is 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds, which fits the minimum height and weight desired for the position. Hudson will be able to battle with some of the bigger offensive linemen he goes against. His arm length is under 33-inches, but just barely.

His athletic ability and movement skills are solid for an offensive tackle. He moves laterally well, which prevents pass rushers from getting the edge with regularity. Hudson has great reactive quickness while pass protecting. He also gets to the second level in the running game well.

He has the potential to be a very good pass blocker at the next level. His athleticism and felxibility are good for a left tackle. While he will need to work on his technique, he has the movement and anchor to be very successful with some development.

Weaknesses

Hudson started just 11 games in his college career. Being stuck behind others on Michigan’s depth chart and then transferring without a waiver really hurt his chance to get meaningful reps. He played well in his 11 games, but it is still a very small sample size to be drafted early in the NFL Draft.

His technique will need to be overhauled for the next level. This goes for his kickslides, hand usage and footwork. He has the natural athletic ability, but could really improve in all three areas to improve his game. This will also help him stay on balance, as he has a tendancy to lunge at defenders.

He could be a more polished run blocker for the next level. Hudson could improve if he had more strength, but defenders are able to disengage and make tackles. If he can improve his grip strength and work on being a better move blocker, there is room for improvement here.

Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick

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